Using a novel design approach, a randomized experiment (RE) was embedded within a regression discontinuity (RD) design (R-RE-D) to evaluate the impact of developmental mathematics at a large midwestern college ("n" = 2,122). Within a region of uncertainty near the cut-score, estimates of benefit from a prospective RE were closely…

Community colleges play a vital role in postsecondary education, enrolling more than one in every three postsecondary students. While their importance has grown over the past 50 years, their students' success rates remain low. Consequently, community college stakeholders are searching with mounting urgency for approaches that increase students'…

As technology becomes increasingly integrated into K-12 education, the use of data is growing in volume and complexity, resulting in a paradox of information overload for educators. While administrators and teachers have access to more data than ever before, they are only just beginning to understand the impact of data on program improvement. In a…

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) serves a large majority of socioeconomically disadvantaged students who are struggling academically and are underprepared for high school graduation and college. This article describes the partnership between LAUSD and the Los Angeles Education Research Institute, and how this collaboration endeavors…

The purpose of this study was to assess the characteristics and impact of developmental courses on students enrolled in developmental mathematics and English courses at a small mid-Western tribal college. This was a quantitative, descriptive study of the courses and the students over a six year timeframe. All students who enrolled in…

The passage of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which extended need-based financial assistance to the general population for the first time, has improved college access for American students, but more work remains to be done to improve college success. According to government statistics, in 2006, about one in six students had earned a degree or…

This report is Iowa's response to the four questions that the United States Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), requires of all states and territories receiving federal funding through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Title II, Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA). The overall goal of…

In essay form, the director of the developmental education program at Cochise College (Arizona) describes her struggle to be personally and professionally effective with Chicano students from Spanish-speaking homes in a racially and culturally prejudiced community. Appended are a description of the program and a list of course offerings, as well…

Developed as part of a project designed to provide a synthesis of literature and practice relating to the career education of disadvantaged students, this paper, which is intended for administrators of local programs, identifies successful components of career education programs for the disadvantaged. Program descriptions were secured through a…

Examined were characteristics of participants in the first four classes of South Carolina's Half-Day Child Development Program for 4-Year-Olds. The first- and second-grade experiences of children who participated in the pilot class of 1983-84 were also investigated. Participants in 1983-84 were 1,050 children in 18 school districts; in the 1988-89…

Nearly 37% (80 students) of the 219 entering, first-time freshmen, who were enrolled in second-level (requiring high school level skills) developmental reading and composition courses at the Community College of Allegheny County, were block-enrolled into a social science/history elective, "Man, Time, and Social Change." The same group of…

This document presents a detailed description of a successful federally-funded developmental education program at Cochise College (Arizona). It includes a statement of philosophy, and sections on program structure, individual student needs, classroom instruction, skill development, special activities, evaluation, student characteristics, and…

Since 1970, the developmental mathematics program at the Metropolitan Campus of Cuyahoga Community College (Ohio) has consisted of three courses of individualized instruction. A pretest is given to determine proper course placement and all modular units are accompanied by regular lectures. This practicum was designed to determine the attitudes,…

Presents the results of a two-part survey on developmental education in four-year colleges and universities. Describes the requirements, staffing, and enrollment in the programs, and assesses the extent to which a subsample of developmental mathematics instructors follow the standards established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.…

A study was conducted at Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) to provide a profile of the characteristics and academic performance of PVCC students in developmental reading and writing courses. Specifically, the study focused on student demographics, performance in developmental courses and college-level English courses, and the relationship…